Deep Purple · 1968 · Studio album
The Book of Taliesyn tuning.
E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD. 2 of 7 songs are tuned differently.
Album tuning
E Standard +5 ¢
About 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured on the CD.
MeasuredFrom tabs
Measured by TuneLit
5 ¢ sharp
| Source | Offset | Equivalent A | Songs | Spread | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD, Harvest CDP 7 92408 2 (EMI, 1989) | +5.4 ¢ | A 441.4 | 7 | +3.4 to +7.2 ¢ | High |
Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (community).
Recorded at De Lane Lea in London between August and October 1968. E Standard throughout. The 1989 EMI CD sits about 5 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 441.4); Shield reads about 20 ¢ sharp and Anthem, with Jon Lord's string arrangement, at concert pitch.
7 songs · 2 tuned differently
Every song, ready to tune
Tune opens the tuner in that song's tuning, pitch included. Play along opens the song player set to that tuning, so the track plays in yours. What the labels mean
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1. Listen, Learn, Read On
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
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2. Wring That Neck
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
An instrumental; titled Hard Road on some editions. A live favourite for years.
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3. Kentucky Woman
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
Neil Diamond's song.
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4. Exposition / We Can Work It Out
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
The band's own instrumental Exposition leads into the Beatles' We Can Work It Out.
On its own, this song measures flatter: CD −7.0 ¢ (medium confidence). Tune uses the album's +5 ¢.
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5. Shield
Different pitch
E Standard +20 ¢Measured
Notes
About 20 ¢ sharp on this CD (A ≈ 445.1), the highest song of the first three albums.
Ritchie Blackmore in standard tuning: every tab of the album (Songsterr) has the guitar and Nick Simper's bass in E Standard. TuneLit measured this song on its own about 20 ¢ sharp (A ≈ 445.1), 14 ¢ above the album value.
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6. Anthem
Different pitch
E StandardMeasured
Notes
At concert pitch on this CD, with Jon Lord's string arrangement.
Ritchie Blackmore in standard tuning: every tab of the album (Songsterr) has the guitar and Nick Simper's bass in E Standard. TuneLit measured this song on its own at concert pitch (−2.9 ¢), 8 ¢ below the album value.
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7. River Deep, Mountain High
E Standard +5 ¢Measured
Notes
Ike & Tina Turner's song, stretched to ten minutes.
What the labels mean
- Measured
- TuneLit measured the pitch on an original CD or LP. The tuning name still comes from the sources.
- Official
- The band, a member, their producer or their guitar tech said it.
- Widely reported
- Trusted outlets, guides and tabs agree, but the band did not say it directly.
- From tabs
- From community tabs, or from players who tune along with the record.
- Disputed
- Sources disagree. The likeliest setting is shown; the notes name the other one.
Each song shows one label, the strongest it has, in this order. How we measure recordings →
Questions
What tuning is The Book of Taliesyn in?
Deep Purple recorded The Book of Taliesyn (1968) in E Standard, about 5 cents sharp (A ≈ 441), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Shield uses E Standard +20 ¢; Anthem uses E Standard.
Why does The Book of Taliesyn sound out of tune with my guitar?
Shield sits about 20 cents sharp (A ≈ 445), so a guitar tuned to A 440 clashes with it. The Tune buttons on this page set the tuner's reference to match the record, so you only tune the strings.